


a tall drink of water

by ghostl0rd (orphan_account)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-02 22:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13327419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/ghostl0rd
Summary: He meets Pelna on what has to be best possible day to leave the worst first impression...Pre-Pelna/Nyx. First Meeting. Vignette. AU





	a tall drink of water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theorchardofbones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorchardofbones/gifts), [aosc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aosc/gifts), [volti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/volti/gifts).



He meets Pelna on what has to be best possible day to leave the _worst_ first impression: five S-Rank dead, countless wounded, third consecutive loss of a Lucian territory this week, _and_ Drautos waiting to tear him a new one for breaking protocol (again).  All he wants to do is skip the lecture, limp home so he can lick his wounds; drown himself in alcohol like he always does, but there's a lecture to be had and a bottle of ice water in front of his face; unfamiliar, but friendly voice attached to the hand offering it to him.

"Glaive runs up to a priestess," the guy says, while Nyx drinks, moody and determined to ignore him. "Out of breath he says, 'Please, may I hide under your skirt. I'll explain later.' Priestess agrees.

A moment later two Crownsguard Police come up and say, 'Sister, have you seen a glaive?' The priestess goes, 'He went that way.' After the CPs run off, the glaive crawls out from under her skirt and says, 'I can't thank you enough, sister. You see, I don't want to go to war." The priestess says, 'I understand completely.'

Glaive says, 'I hope I'm not rude, but you have a great pair of legs!' Priestess says, 'If you had looked a little higher, you would have seen a great pair of _balls_ \--"

Nyx chokes, and bursts into a surprised coughing fit. The stranger claps him on the back.

"First time that's happened," the guy mutters, though still sounding amused.  

" _Six_ ," Nyx wheezes, when he's recovered, pushing himself off the pillar he's been leaning on to offer a hand; get a good look at him, "that was terrible."

"Yeah, but you still laughed."

The handshake he receives is brisk; just enough to snap Nyx out of the first thought that enters his mind, because that first thought is, _pretty_.

The guy smiles as he lets go.  He's got a cooler bag full of other water bottles slung over one shoulder, and a grey regulation issue tee that says _KINGSGLAIVE_ ; the one only new recruits wear.

"Still better than the day you look like you've had," the guy goes.

There's an energy here: grounded, calming; somehow able to seep into him, despite his determined attempts to remain sullen. (It's the only way to survive being cussed out by Drautos.)

Nyx finds himself smiling in spite of himself.  

"Believe it or not I've had worse," he says.  "I'm--"

"Khara! I said _distribute_ , not disseminate!"  Tredd barks, from across the barracks where other new recruits are doing push ups in front of him. The guy in front of Nyx sighs while Tredd goes on in creative detail exactly how he’s going disembowel him three ways to Sunday if he doesn’t get over there _now_.

"See you around, _hero_."

He tosses Libertus a bottle as he jogs back to where the others are, and Nyx figures the effect this guy has on others can't just be limited to him, because Libertus has a smile on his face when he arrives.

"How's it?"

"Still waiting," Nyx shrugs, nodding at Drautos' closed door. He glances back to where the new recruits are standing to attention and snickering.  

Tredd’s got the guy doing a handstand and reciting the Hearth and Home credo in full while he crouches and pokes his armpit with a ruler. Off to the side Sonitus and Axel are also watching, Sonitus looking more resigned than amused.

"Is he new?" Nyx asks.

Libertus gives him an appraising look while he unscrews the cap for his bottle, like he’s on to him.  ( _Of course_ he’s on to him.)

" _Why_?"

"He seems..." Nyx spends a few seconds carefully trying to find the appropriate word, "...friendly."

Libertus takes a swig, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.  "Mm. Cheerful isn't he?"

“Funny, too,” Nyx adds.

Libertus nods but  then lightly taps the butt of his bottle against Nyx’s head, expression stern.

“You can’t fuck _this_ one, oi.”

“Excuse me?” Not just at the insinuation, but also the _correctness_ of the insinuation.

“Crowe likes him and she reckons he’s too good for you and if you so much as _try_ , she’ll cut you.”

“She also tell you when to flush?”

Libertus shrugs. “Hey, I like him too.  He’s got a good head on his shoulders, but you've got a lot in your head mate.  Not sayin' it's a bad thing, just that he's young and--"

"I'm old?" Nyx finishes.  Except, everyone who enlists in the glaive has to be the legal age (21) as a minimum requirement these days so he's not sure how that's really an issue.

" _Touchy_." Libertus chuckles. "I was gonna say _intense_.  You'd break him. There's other pretty faces here, anyway and it's not like you've ever struggled bringing someone home."

Nyx considers it. "Alright."

He trusts Libertus’ judgement.

Or maybe he’s getting too old to argue--point is; he makes friends with Pelna, flirts here and there, but ultimately doesn't fuck him.

Life marches forward.

Well, as much 'marches' as 'wades through' a waist-deep cocktail of mud and daemon entrails and MT parts for the next six, almost seven years.  In that time Pelna turns out to be a great confidant and sounding board on the nights around the campfire when he's too tired to make a hero quip, and those nights become more and more of a ritual for them. Nyx sees why Crowe doesn't want him wanting him, and honestly, she's right. But knowing only seems to add to a growing list of reasons why he _should_ fuck him.

Eventually, in the lead up to the V-Day parade it becomes less of a question of why, and more of a question of _when_.

Nyx maintains, the fact that he overheard Crowe tiredly telling Tredd that yes, Pelna was newly single--has nothing to do with it

**Author's Note:**

> a dissertation on [pelna khara and nyx ulric](https://ghostl0rd.tumblr.com/post/177652924690/pelna-khara-a-writers-cheat-sheet)


End file.
